Summary
Levels of violence fell slightly in Iraq over the past week but conditions are still higher than most weeks in November. At least 76 people were killed and 165 injured in nationwide attacks with incidents concentrated in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk, as well as southern Salah ad-Din province, western Diyala province and central Babil province.
Tactics
At least 35 separate bomb attacks left 61 people dead and 150 injured while small arms fire left 14 people dead and four injured. A rise in indirect fire attacks (rockets and mortars) left one person dead and 11 injured. Two separate mortar attacks in Baghdad occurred near Muthanna airbase and Baghdad International Airport although they caused no damage or casualties.
Ashura Violence
As warned, terrorists targeted Shi’ah pilgrims gathering to mark Ashura, with bombs and indirect fire against religious worshippers in Kirkuk, Baghdad and Babil province. However, heightened security by the authorities over the last two weeks meant that there were no attacks in Karbala province, the main focus of the event. There were no suicide bombings reported countrywide during the week.
Energy Sector Attacks
Two North Oil Company employees were killed in separate bombing attacks in Kirkuk, marking the first direct attack on the energy sector in over a month. An Iraqi private security firm also came under attack in Salah ad-Din province, with one guard killed and another injured in a shooting on 11 December.
Kidnap for Ransom
Five people were abducted in separate incidents, including a child in Kirkuk and four ministry employees in Salah ad-Din province. An academic was also released from captivity in exchange for a six-figure ransom sum (in US dollars).
The Withdrawal
The US military withdrawal continues, with hundreds of troops crossing the border into Kuwait every day. At the time of writing there remain 6,000 in the country with most set to leave by 20 December. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Maliki is in Washington to discuss post-withdrawal relations with the US.
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Source: AKE
Levels of violence fell slightly in Iraq over the past week but conditions are still higher than most weeks in November. At least 76 people were killed and 165 injured in nationwide attacks with incidents concentrated in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk, as well as southern Salah ad-Din province, western Diyala province and central Babil province.
Tactics
At least 35 separate bomb attacks left 61 people dead and 150 injured while small arms fire left 14 people dead and four injured. A rise in indirect fire attacks (rockets and mortars) left one person dead and 11 injured. Two separate mortar attacks in Baghdad occurred near Muthanna airbase and Baghdad International Airport although they caused no damage or casualties.
Ashura Violence
As warned, terrorists targeted Shi’ah pilgrims gathering to mark Ashura, with bombs and indirect fire against religious worshippers in Kirkuk, Baghdad and Babil province. However, heightened security by the authorities over the last two weeks meant that there were no attacks in Karbala province, the main focus of the event. There were no suicide bombings reported countrywide during the week.
Energy Sector Attacks
Two North Oil Company employees were killed in separate bombing attacks in Kirkuk, marking the first direct attack on the energy sector in over a month. An Iraqi private security firm also came under attack in Salah ad-Din province, with one guard killed and another injured in a shooting on 11 December.
Kidnap for Ransom
Five people were abducted in separate incidents, including a child in Kirkuk and four ministry employees in Salah ad-Din province. An academic was also released from captivity in exchange for a six-figure ransom sum (in US dollars).
The Withdrawal
The US military withdrawal continues, with hundreds of troops crossing the border into Kuwait every day. At the time of writing there remain 6,000 in the country with most set to leave by 20 December. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Maliki is in Washington to discuss post-withdrawal relations with the US.
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Source: AKE
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